Photographic studios, professional photographers, and others performing commercial portrait work (collectively referred to herein as “photographers”) often need to identify and track large numbers of images through the workflow process from image capture to portrait delivery. In general, captured images are tracked by associating each image with organizational information indicating how the image should be processed, to whom the processed image should be delivered, and other descriptive information useful for later identification, selection, or sorting of captured images. Without such organizational information, each captured image would need to be individually reviewed, which could be time consuming when processing a large number of images. Moreover, such review of individual images by others not present when the images were captured can be an arduous and inaccurate process.
In some cases, the organizational information includes information identifying the customer or the subject of the image. For example, in the case of school portraits, identifying information can include the name, school, and grade of the subject of each photograph. In other embodiments, the organizational information also includes order information. For example, each individual who has a photographic portrait taken may want multiple copies of the portrait in one or more sizes using one or more finishing techniques. Photographic portraits may also include multiple individuals, each of whom may want a different number of copies of the photograph in different sizes.
In some prior systems, photographers create order packages to facilitate tracking order information. Each package has a set number of copies for a set number of sizes. For example, a first package may include two pictures having a dimension of five inches by seven inches and ten “wallet” pictures having a dimension of two inches by three inches. Another package may include one picture having a dimension of eight inches by ten inches and eight “wallet” pictures.
Tracking organizational information in some prior systems includes printing the organizational information directly onto a negative of each portrait. However, the association between the organizational information and the image must be otherwise tracked between taking the picture and printing the negative. These issues are the same regardless of whether the photographic medium utilized is physical (e.g., a printed negative) or digital (e.g., a digital picture file). For example, in some prior digital systems, computer applications can be used to add metadata to an image downloaded from a digital camera. However, the association between the digital picture and the identity information must be otherwise maintained before obtaining the picture with the computer application.
One example prior method of associating an image with identifying information at the time the image is taken includes sequential ordering. For example, a photographer can record a list of photographic sessions, the number of pictures taken during each session, and the customer associated with each session in the same order in which the sessions are conducted. In such a system, however, the pictures must be kept in the same order in which they are taken or the association between each picture and the identity information may be lost.
In other systems, limited types of information can be associated with a digital image at the time the image is taken. Digital cameras typically record some types of information about a picture, known as metadata, along with the picture. In general, however, such information includes information about the picture itself and does not identify a customer or the subject of the image. For example, a typical camera encodes information regarding the make and model of the camera, the camera settings, and whether a flash is used. Some digital cameras also include information regarding the date and time the picture is taken. Some other digital cameras include a “Global Positioning System” (GPS) unit to track and record the physical location, Coordinating Universal Time (UTC) date, and UTC time at which each picture is taken.
In still other systems, data can be associated with a digital image file on a digital camera through emulation of the memory card of the digital camera. US Publication No. 2005/0036034 discloses a system by which a processing unit emulates a memory card of a digital camera such that the digital camera's electronics operate with the memory of the processing unit through a camera interface card as if such memory was on a memory card located in the digital camera. Images captured by the digital camera are transferred, via the camera interface card, to the memory of the processing unit and the digital camera can access (e.g., read) images stored in the memory of the processing unit. Data can be associated with the image files by partitioning the memory of the processing unit to accommodate both originally captured images and copies of the images including file names and/or headers modified to indicate the data desired to be associated with the images.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a tracking system that facilitates tracking of the association between an image and organizational information facilitating production and delivery of the image. Aspects of the present invention overcome these and other shortcomings of the prior art and address these needs in the art.